Supporting and turning slip for pipes



P 9, 1952 w. E. BARBER ETAL 2,609,583

SUPPORTING AND TURNING SLIP FOR PIPE Filed April 50, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet l W. E. Barber Geo. H. Al/en INVENTORS ATTORNEY Sept. 9, 1952 w. E. BARBER ETAL 2,609,533

SUPPORTING AND TURNING SLIP FOR PIPE Filed April 50, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 VV 5. Barber eo H. A//e/7 INVENTORS P 9, 195-2 w. E. BARBER ETAL 2,609,583

SUPPORTING AND TURNING SLIP FOR PIPE Filed April 50, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 VV.f.B er

6 e o. [7. en

INVENTORS UNITED Patented Sept. 9, T 1952 orrlcs SUPPORTING AND TURNING SLIP I FOR PIPES William E. Barber, Houston, and George H. Allen, La Porte, Tex.

Application April 30, 1949, Serial N0.90-,578

The invention relates to a combination sup- "porting and turning set of slips for pipe in wells."

In the drilling of wells, particularly rotary 'method,-various' types of pipe, such as casing, -'drill pipe; and tubing, are lowered into and'removed from the well bore during the drilling and producing operation. These pipes are connected end-to-end in being lowered into the well and disconnected section-from-section as they are removed from the well. During these operations the'practice has grown up of supporting the pipe remaining in the well on a set of slips in a slip bowl which forms part of the well head. The slip bowl may be in the casing or tubing head, in thefblowout preventer or in therotary table. It is usually in the formof a tapered bowl adapted to receive the tapered slips. Usually three or four jaws, or sections are employed as a set of slips so as to form a substantial circle while the section being added is rotated in order to be threaded to the pipe already in the well.

In removing the pipe the threaded couples are unscrewed usually'by holding the pipe in the well stationary and unscrewing the section or sections which are to be removed.

In some instances the slip bowl is rotated and the friction of the slips in the bowl turns the slip and thepipe.

1 Claim. (Cl. 24.'263) In some instances of course the pipe rotates in--the slip jawsand both sections of the pipe which are to be threaded or unthreaded must be gripped and oppositely turned or held.

The present invention contemplates a combination slip which may be manipulated not only 'to support the pipe but to also lock the pipe to 2 movement and also supported against rotational movement.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a latching slip having an extensible portion therein which may be manipulated so as to project from the inside of the slip to engage the pipe being supported and to also project from the back onto the outside of the slip to engage the slip bowl to lock the pipe against rotation in either the slips or the bowl. J

A still further object of the invention is to provide a slip jaw for supporting the pipe in wells wherein a latching bushing is carried for rotational movement in longitudinal position by the slip jaw so that the bushing which is eccentric may be turned to project on each the inside and the outside of the slip so as to latch against the pipe and the slip bowl..

Other and further objects of. the invention will be readily apparent whenthe following description is considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a typical form of slip bowl with the latching slipassembly shown in side elevation supporting, a, pipe in, the slip bowl. I

Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1 showing the slip and the latching mechanism in section.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the latching mechanism of the slip jaw and illustrating the pipe and the slip bowl.

Fig. 4 is a top plan view looking down on the slip bowl and the slips in pipe supporting position where the pivotal connection of the slip jaws and the handle of the latch have been illustrated.

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view through the slip bowl, slips, and pipe with a portion of the pipe broken away to illustrate the manner of engagement of the pipe by the latch bushing.

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 66 of Fig. 5 and illustrating the latching bushing as engaging the slip bowl and the pipe.

In Fig. 1 a slip bowl 2 is usually in the form of a spool having the lower flange 3 and. upper flange 4 which are connected with the spool portion '5. The inside surface of this spool is tapered at 6 to provide a bowl for a set of slips 1. Such slips may be made of two, three, or more jaw sections. Three have been illustrated here. These jaw sections are seen in Fig. 2 at '8, 9, and I0. Each one constituting approximately one-third of an annulus. Each section has a smooth back, or outer surface I 2, which is tapered to fit the taper pipe and slip bowl. 'ing is'turned to unlatched position in that the 6 of the slip bowl. The respective jaws 8, 9, and I!) are shown as having been coupled together as in Fig. 4 by a handle which has a bolt 16 which pivots the jaws ID to the handle while the bolt I! pivots the jaw 51 to the handle. Each jaw can turn with its respective bolt. An identical handle [5 is pivoted to the opposite side of the jaw IOandto the jaw 8 as seen in Fig. 1.

As seen in Fig. 3 the inner surface of each of the jaw sections has horizontally extending teeth 20 which are arranged to engage the periphery 2| of the pipe 22. This pipe may be casing, drill pipe, or tubing, depending on the'operation in the well.

It seems obvious that after. the slips wedge into the bowl 6 that the teeth 2!) grip into the periphery of the pipe and hold the pipe against further downward movement.

I he particular contribution of the present invention is best seen in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 as having been incorporated in the slip where the jaw has been provided with a window 39 which is an ppening' extending entirelythrough the-slip jaw.

The jaw also has a vertical bore 3i which intersects the window and is arranged to receive the latch rod 32 which extends above the upper end of the slip and is provided with a handle 33. The bore 3| extends: below the window 30 and re- :ceives the lower end 34 of the rod 32 which acts as a bearing therefor.

.The rod' 32 is shown as having been reduced in Thei'bushing. is hollow to receive the rod 32 and is reduced insize at 39 to -:.provi-de the shoulder 31. Across pin 44 is shown 'as'passing through the rod 32 andanchored in the: bushing soas to afiix the bushing jnnonrotatable position onthe rod. The bushing may I of course take various forms but as seen in Fig. 2 the; bushing is more or less eccentric in shape having the vertical teeth" 45 and 45 thereon which face in opposite directions on opposite sides ofta diameter. The bushing may have the enlargemerits 4'1- and 48 on opposite sides so as to'give a greater bearing surface diameter to the contact As seen in Fig. 2 the bushtwo surfaces 41 and 48 of the bushing do not project radially inwardly nor outwardly beyond the peripheries of the jaw. The slips will merely :act tosupportthepipe in the slip bowl without any rotational.latch'exceptthe friction against the pipeand in the slipbowl.

InFig-"S it will be observedthat upon turning of the handle 33 the bushing has been turned to 'suc-hgan extent that the periphery teeth thereof protrude-beyondthe inside and outside surfaces of the jaw so that the slip bowl 6 is engaged on the outside and the periphery 2| of the pipe is engaged on the inside. This action of the cocentric bushing of course wedges the pipe against the other two slip jaws so as to increase the friction between the pipe and the jaws and also between the jaws and the slip bowl so that the pipe will be 'latchedagainst rotation and in substance fixed in the slips and in theslip bowl.

The turning of the handle '33 releases the latch so that the pipe may turn and the slips readily pickeduporpulled up when the pipe is removed. The slant or'taper of the rod 32 and handle 33 will cause the handle to swing outwardly and downwardly so as to keep the bushing in neutral.

The slip is thus ready to be dropped into the slip bowl and will be in position to receive the pipe. A spring to urge the handle to such a neutralposition may be provided. The handle may be readily turned to lock or latch the bushing, p pe, slip. and slip bowl.

Broadly, the. invention con-templates a latchingslip which maybe used either to support a pipe in a well head or to serve a-combination'a-nd dual function ofbot-h supporting the pipe-and locking the pipe against rotation.

What is claimed is:

Aicombination make-up and back-up slip'comprising a set of tapered jaws to support'and grlp the pipe in the well, latching means carriedby oneof'saidjaws to engage both the pipe'and the slip bowl in which the slips'are seated'in supportin the pipe so as to lock the pipe tobe rotated with-or held stationary by the slip bowl, said'means. including a. Window inone of the slip jawsya shaft'turnable in said Window and an eccentric .latch bushing mounted .on. said shaft and having diametrically opposed enlarged portions thereon, saidrbushing beingrotatable in said window to project one of said enlarged portions inwardly to. engagethe pipe and the otherv of :said enlarged portions outwardly to engage the slip bowl,:and ahandle onsaid shaft to'turnsaid bushing.

WILLIAM E. BARBER. GEORGE H. ALDEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

' UNITED .STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,424,235 Bronander .-Aug. 1,.1922 1,458,906 Morisette -JunelQ, 1923 1,501,962 Montgomery July 22, 1924 1,526,900 Byrne .Feb...17, 1925 1,556,094 Fletcher .Oc't.'6, 1925 1,559,932 :Bcgen Nov. 3,.1925 2,208,925 Fuellen July 23, 1940 2.290,?99 Braver July '21, 1942 

